


Ichabod vs. the Government Shutdown

by bleedingheartshow



Category: Sleepy Hollow (TV)
Genre: Gen, Humor, Politics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-23
Updated: 2013-10-23
Packaged: 2017-12-30 05:19:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 771
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1014598
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bleedingheartshow/pseuds/bleedingheartshow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ichabod Crane learns about the government shutdown. He isn't pleased one bit.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Ichabod vs. the Government Shutdown

**Author's Note:**

> First time writing for Sleepy Hollow and first time writing fic in three years, so apologies. Thank you to my betas Kate and Erin for checking things over.

“Shutdown? What do you mean the government has been shut down?”

Ichabod Crane stared at Abbie Mills, and not with a “Miss Mills, you continue to impress me” kind of stare. This was the stare reserved for ten percent levies on baked goods, automated locks on car doors, and Captain Irving.

Abbie sighed. This was going to take a while.

“The government couldn't come to an agreement on funding legislation in time,” she said. Abbie eyed Ichabod as he paced back and forth in the small cabin. He clutched a copy of the latest New York Times in his hands, which no doubt prompted his uneasy state. “As a result, the federal government had to shut down. It’s not going to affect us too much up here, but if we need any federal assistance, it may take a while.”

Ichabod stopped his pacing and turned to face her. He looked genuinely angry and confused. Abbie’s features softened. She’d anticipated a reaction to this news, but perhaps she’d underestimated Ichabod’s devotion to a future –now current - American government.

“How? How could this happen in the first place? Surely there are safeguards against such an occurrence?”

Abbie nodded. “Government shutdowns are rare. They only transpire when the House of Representatives, the Senate, and the President can’t come to an agreement regarding funding bills. Generally they are solved fairly quickly, but this is probably going to be a long one,” she said.

“Care to elaborate?” asked Ichabod. He had plopped himself down into one of Corbin’s old chairs. At least he seemed to have calmed down. Slightly.

Removing her gun from her hip holster and placing it on the side table, Abbie sat on the couch and rolled up her sleeves. After taking a deep breath, she attempted to explain the nuances of the Affordable Care Act, some of which she thought Ichabod understood. She caught him muttering something about universal health care under his breath but decided to let it slide. 

After giving Ichabod a brief explanation of how the ACA was made into a law and why the Republicans disagreed with it, Ichabod shot to his feet.

“You mean to tell me the Republican Party is holding the government of the United States of America hostage because it does not find a law agreeable. A law that was duly passed by Congress and upheld by the Supreme… Supreme…” 

“Court,” Abbie suggested.

“Yes, thank you. Supreme Court. Is that what you are trying to tell me?” 

Abbie hesitated. “I don’t think it’s that simple, but that’s what many people think is happening, yeah.”

Ichabod strode across the room and grabbed his bag of meager belongings. His eyes had that fire in them, the fire he seemed to reserve for potential political uprisings. Or donut holes.

“Washington warned against this, you know. If he could only see things now. He all but predicted this would happen with a two-party system and that a single party would hold dominion over an opposing party for revenge. But did anyone listen? Clearly not.”

Hoisting his bag onto his shoulders, Ichabod moved toward the door.

“Quickly, gather your things. We must go to our nation’s capital and let them know this will not stand!”

Abbie rolled her eyes. “Crane, put the bag down. How do you think that’s gonna work? We’ll go down to Washington D.C., stand outside the Capitol Building, and you’ll demand to be heard because your best friend was George Washington and he knew better? You've seen the place where Jenny’s locked up, right? Because that’s where we’re headed if you go through with this.”

Ichabod put his bag down, his shoulders slouching. “Is there nothing to be done?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper. “Does no one care about the future of their government or the voice of the people?”

Abbie crossed the distance between them and placed a hand delicately on his arm. “They do. Now, instead of muskets and gunpowder, people fight with words. The entire internet is in an outrage. Trust me, Crane. People are making their voices heard.”

He looked down at her, the slightest hint of a smile growing on his lips. “Maybe you can show me this internet that you speak of. I would quite like to read what the American people have to say on this matter.”

She smirked as she turned to retrieve her gun and holster it. “Maybe later,” Abbie said, fishing her chirping cellphone out of her pocket. Her smirk disappeared as she read Irving’s name on the caller ID. “For now, it looks like we've got more work to do.”


End file.
